LITTLE BLUE LINES Southern Appalachian Streams at High Elevations Lead to Native Brookies
BY NICK CARTER
BROOKIES THRIVE IN COLD M O U N TA I N S T R E A M S . P H O T O BY NICK CARTER
SOUTHERN APPALACHIA’S NATIVE BROOK TROUT ARE often called the most exquisite fish on the planet. Soft in the hand, they are delicate and beautiful, especially in autumn when they’re painted for the fall spawn in deep purples and greens, with white-tipped fins and a pumpkin-orange belly. And beauty must be a primary draw for anglers, because these little guys rarely grow longer than 10 inches. There is beauty of the fish as well as beauty in the high-mountain creeks where they live. As char, more closely related to arctic char than rainbow or brown trout, brookies are the Southeast’s only native salmonid. They require clean cold water, and over the last century have been relegated to the region’s highest, most remote headwater streams, where they live short lifespans in gorgeous but nutrient-poor habitat. In many cases, brook trout live where water seeps from the mountains and flows almost vertically through plunge pools and pocket water over a cobbled streambed. Each significant rain scours silt from these systems, leaving little to support insect life. In such conditions, there is not much for fish to eat, so they must feed aggressively and opportunistically. These are perfect conditions for anglers who prefer OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2021 | BLUERIDGEOUTDOORS.COM
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